Mark’s Score 8.7
I had a surgery two years ago, which required that I travel to Annapolis for quarterly follow-ups. While up that way, I took advantage of the opportunity by exploring places on Kent Island. The first week of September I had my eighth and final follow-up. This was an important milestone, so I decided that I would treat myself to lunch at The Narrows.
The Narrows is located on the Kent Island Narrows that separate Kent Island from the Eastern Shore. Eastern Shore watermen have been plying this narrow stretch of water for centuries. The Narrows dining room gives you a front row seat to watch crab boats and sailing craft on the bay. The restaurant is built on the foundation of a 19th century oyster-shucking shack. It was established in 1983 by Bo and Brenda Hardesty and Jerry Danmeyer. Chef Matthew Cohey has been producing award winning crab cakes, crab balls, crab soup and fried green tomatoes for the past 15 years. The Narrows is consistently rated one of the best restaurants in the Kent Island area.
As luck would have it, my final follow-up occurred on a beautiful sunny autumn day. Perfect for sitting on The Narrows patio to watch working vessels and pleasure craft on the bay. I was already in a giddy mood and the setting by the water on a beautiful day served to only improve my feeling of well-being.
You would think that I would order the famous crab and the fried green tomatoes. But I didn’t. I was enjoying the end of my surgical journey so I was in the mood to try something new. I decided to order something I would not normally eat, so I ordered the Cajun Pecan Crusted Catfish with jalapeño cheese polenta, and shrimp, in a tasso ham cream sauce. I was going to order the fired green tomatoes but the waitress warned me that the main was fairly large, and I wanted to leave room for dessert (I was celebrating), so I passed on the tomatoes. I did splurge on a glass of Kith & Kin Chardonnay to accompany the fish.
I can’t say that I was disappointed with the meal, but neither was I wowed by it. The polenta and cream sauce were excellent, but the pecan crusted fish was just ok. It was a good meal, but not a particularly memorable one. As for dessert, I ordered their cheese cake. The most memorable thing about it was its height. It was also beautifully presented. Unfortunately, I am a firm believer in that a little dessert goes a long way; consequently, the large portion seemed daunting rather than beneficial.
The service was fine and on a beautiful autumn day their patio is the perfect place to enjoy la celebratory lunch. I would go to the Narrows again, for the view alone. It is also fairly certain you will get a decent meal in a salubrious setting at Narrows. But in the end, I would not rate it one of my favorites.
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